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Think 3-D printing is cool? Try 4-D

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Skylar Tibbits spoke at TED 2013 about 4-D printing

Tibbits: "The idea behind 4-D printing is to have change over time"

4-D printing could create robotics without wires or motors

Video producer's note: You've heard of 3-D printing, the process of using a specialized printer to create real-world objects from computer models. Now there's something new on the horizon that could revolutionize this burgeoning technology: 4-D printing.

At TED 2013, senior fellow Skylar Tibbits sat down with CNN Ideas to further explain this mysterious fourth dimension in printing technology. He also provided us with visual examples from his Self-Assembly Lab, MIT. See how it all works in the video above.

What uses do you see for 4-D printing, if any?

(Note: This is project is a collaboration between Stratasys Inc. and the Self-Assembly Lab, MIT.)